Apparatus for separating solids from liquids.



H. E. WETHERBEEL APPARATUS FOR SBPABATING SOLID$ FROM LIQUIDS. APPLICATION FILED APB.,19, 1913.

' 1,069,048. Patented July 29,1913.

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WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0.. WASHINGTON. 0 c7 H. E. WETHERBBE.

' APPARATUS FOR. SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM LIQUIDS. APPLICATION rum) APLIQ, 191a.

1,069,048. Patented Jul 29, 1913.

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IN VEN TOR W1 NESSES COLUMBXA PLANDGRAPH IO-,WASHINGTON, D. c.

A llormy UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT E. WETHERBEE, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF '10 RICHARD F. GRANT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1913.

Application filed April 19, 1913. Serial No. 762,342.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT E. VVETHER- BEE, of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Solids from Liquids; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved alpparatus for separating solids from liquids and particularly for separating the solids fro-1n the sludge from churn or other drills employed in exploring for ore or minerals.

'Heretofore it" has been the practice to catch the wash water or sludge from drills, in barrels usually four, the barrels being filled in sequence and allowed to settle as long as possible before being drained preparatory to another filling. The barrels are drained in the order in which they are filled, but it frequently happens that they are needed before the solids have had time to settle, consequently some of the sludge is lost, andat the end of the operation when the samples are taken, each barrel contains sludge from different strata and it is difficult to get a sample that fairly represents the average.

The object of my invention is to pass all the sludge through one receptacle and separate the solids from the liquids bymechanical means aided by gravity during its passage through the apparatus so that all the solids will be saved, and it consists in the parts and combination of parts and in the details of construction as will be more fully explained and pointed out in the claims.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view on line y-y of Fig. 1. Fig. S'is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the revolving cylinder and Fig. 4 is a view in plan of the bottom bearing for said cylinder.

1 represents a vessel or receptacle of any size and shape, open at the top, and 2 is a cover or closure for same, the said cover being provided, preferably centrally, with an upwardly projecting elbow 3 into which the pipe carrying the sludge water from the drill discharges. Located below the cover,

and secured to the latter by a plurality of supports 4 is the conical deflector 5, the latter being so located that its apex is approximately in line with the center of the opening through the cover 2, and the periphery of its base adjacent the side wall of the receptacle, but sufl iciently removed therefrom so as to permit all the sludge entering through the elbow 3, to be distributed by the cone around the sides of the receptacle.

6 is a horizontal pipe passing centrally across the receptacle below the normal water level in same. This pipe is secured to the receptacle and one end passes through the side and terminates outside of the receptacle in an upwardly projecting overflow pipe 7. Communicating with pipe 6 at the center thereof is the pipe 8, which latter projects upwardly and terminates in a plane above the upper open end of outlet pipe 7. This pipe 8 is closed at its upper end and is provided immediately below its closed end with one or more openings through which the water passes from the receptacle into the pipe and through the latter to the outlet 7.

9 is a cylinder, open at its lower end and closed at its top, the closed end being preferably semi-spherical as shown, and provided internally centrally wit-h a downend of the cylinder is sustained against a swinging or lateral movement by the ring shaped support 12 which may be secured to pipe 8, and form an internal bearing for the lower end of the cylinder, or be secured to the cylinder and bear against the pipe.

In the operation of the apparatus the sludge water is discharged into the elbow and falls onto the cone and is distributed by the latter into the receptacle adjacent the outer wall of the latter. As the receptacle fills, the water rises inside of cylinder 9 until it reaches the openings in top of pipe 8. This water passes through pipes 8 and 6 and flows out through overflow 7, which then acts as a siphon and lowers the level of the water in receptacle to the line 50-00 which is the plane of the discharge end of outlet pipe 7. When the water reaches this low level, the lower end of cylinder 9 will still be submerged and the cylinder filled up to the outlet holes in the pipe 8. As the sludge enters the receptacle, it forces the water up into the cylinder 9 and out through the pipes 8, (3 and 7. It will be evident that the heavier particles of ore or other material, in the sludge, will settle at once, while the water at the top and within the cylinder will contain only the lighter and finer particles which would remain in suspension for considerable time under ordinary settling conditions. The cylinder 9 is rapidly rotated by a jet of water from the nozzle 11 projected against the water wheel, and as the sludge water rises in the cylinder, the solids held in suspension therein, are thrown rapidly outwardly against the cylinder by centrifugal force, so that only clear water reaches the outlets in pipe 8. It has been found in practice that by applying centrifugal force as described, while the carrying current is passing through cylinder 9, that even the finest slimes are retained. hen the section to be sampled has been drilled through, the water in the receptacle 1s drawn off as far as possible by the siphon, and the cover 2 and cylinder 9 removed, and the latter washed out into the receptacle so that all the solids will be contained in the one receptacle and can be readily and accurately sampled.

WVith this improvement after the apparatus has been started, the air pressure in the tank or receptacle holds the water inside of the cylinder at a height above the water in the main receptacle, or in other words the sludge, which is being mechanically acted upon by the machine, is at all times held in a column distinct and separate from the remainder of the liquid in the receptacle, and as the water is discharged from the receptacle as fast as sludge is fed to it, it will be seen that this standing column is constantly being replaced by the sludge from below.

It is evident that many slight changes might be resorted to in the relative arrangement of parts shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I would have it under stood that I do not wish to confine myself to the exact construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, but

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent-, is

1. The combination of a receptacle, a vertical cylinder within said receptacle the said cylinder being closed at its upper end and open at its lower end, means for rotating the cylinder, and a discharge pipe, the inlet end of which is within said rotating cylinder and in .a plane above the lower open end of the latter, the said pipe terminating outside of the receptacle.

The combination of a receptacle having a feed opening in the top thereof, a cylinder mounted to rotate in said receptacle the said cylinder being open at its bottom and closed at its top, means for rotating the cylinder, and a discharge pipe leading from the receptacle, the intake end being within said cylinder adjacent the upper closed end of thellatter and in a plane above the discharge enc.

3. The combination of a receptacle having a sludge feed opening in its top, a cone located with its apex in the plane of and below said opening, a cylinder closed at its top and open at its bottom, the said cylinder being below the cone and mounted to rotate, means for rotating the cylinder and a discharge pipe leading from the receptacle, the intake end of said pipe being within the cylinder and above the normal water level in the receptacle.

4:. The combination of a receptacle having an inlet opening, a cylinder closed at its upper end and open at its lower end, the'said cylinder being mounted to rotate, means for rotating the cylinder, and an outlet pipe having a member projecting up into the cylinder and provided outside of the receptacle with an upwardly projecting overflow end, the open end of the latter being in a plane above the lower end of the cylinder.

5. The combination of a receptacle, a conical deflector therein, a cylinder closed at its top and open at its lower end, the said cylinder being below the conical deflector and mounted to rotate, means for rotating the cylinder, and the outlet pipe having an upwardly projecting member terminating within the cylinder, and provided outside the receptacle with an upwardly projecting overflow member, the open end of the latter being in a plane above the lower open end of the cylinder.

6. The combination of a receptacle having an inlet opening, a conical deflector below i said opening, an outlet pipe having two upwardly projecting members one being within the receptacle and the other outside the latter, the member within the receptacle being the longer, a cylinder inclosing the longer member of the outlet pipe, the said cylinder being open at its bottom and closed at its top, a water wheel secured to the cylinder and a nozzle for projecting a stream of water against said wheel for rotating the cylinder.

7. The combination of a receptacle, ,a cylinder open at its bottom and closed at its top, within said receptacle and mounted to rotate, means for rotating said cylinder, and a discharge pipe having its inlet end within the cylinder, and in a plane above the discharge end of said pipe, whereby the liquid is maintained in said rotating cylinder at a 'higher level than in the receptacle.

8. The combination of a receptacle, cylinder open at its bottom and closed at its top and mounted to rotate in said receptacle, means for rotating said cylinder and a siphon discharge pipe, the inlet end of which is within the cylinder in a plane above the outlet end of said discharge pipe.

9. The combination of a receptacle, a cylinder open at its bottom and closed at its top, and mounted to rotate in said receptacle, means for rotating said cylinder, and a discharge pipe the inlet and outlet ends of which project upwardly and terminate in planes above the lower end of said cylinder, the inlet end of said discharge pipe being within the cylinder.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT E. WETHERBEE.

Witnesses:

SAML. W. FOLSOM, R. F. GRANT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

